Freshman Friday : Moving Tips

- Rebekah Lackey

Hi y’all! I just wanted to congratulate you guys again! We are so excited to meet you, and we hope you are excited as well. In the meantime, I’m going to give y’all some tips so you can start planning your big move to Raiderland. I have quite a few different ideas that I hope will be helpful, so here we go!

First off, look up the Murray floor plan, and find your room. (here are the links: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/housing/documents/halls/murrayFloorPlan.pdf and https://www.depts.ttu.edu/housing/halls/murray.php#prettyPhoto[grouped]/0/ ) You can move your furniture around, but at least you’ll know the dimensions and the number of windows you’ll have. My mom made the curtains for my room, and we didn’t expect to have two windows, so seeing that on move-in day kind of threw us for a loop! If you can already have it planned out on what you will need, it’ll make your (and your parents) day go a little smoother! Speaking of windows, another roommate and I both have two windows, and we are almost certain that they leak cold air. Especially if you get cold at night or are a cold-natured person, I would recommend making sure you have enough blankets to stay warm. In Murray, there is also one laundry room on our floor. Luckily, it is a short walk from our hallway and is easy to access.

Next: storage.
Lofting my bed was extremely helpful in creating more space. I was able to store so many things under the bed instead of having them out taking up more room that I didn’t have. I put those three-drawer storage bins underneath, and they are so easy to roll out and then back under. To make them match my room décor (and also to hide the junk I have in them), I went to Hobby Lobby and got scrapbook paper to line the front of the drawers, and they actually turned out pretty cute! However, when you loft your bed as high as I did, and you don’t have very long legs like me, you will definitely need a stool or something of that sort to get into your bed easily. For the first couple of weeks I didn’t have a stool…so I basically had to vault into my bed…it wasn’t pretty. Another one of my favorite things that holds some of my things is a shelf that goes around my bed. (I’ll attach a picture of it at the bottom!) You can get one at Bed Bath and Beyond if you’re interested. It holds some of my art, my books, and most importantly, it has a cup holder!

This is something that you probably already know, but you will be up late studying a lot. More likely than not, you will have to pull some all-nighters. The Sam’s Place downstairs is helpful with providing caffeine until they close at midnight, so if you’re like me, having a coffee pot of some sort in your room will be beneficial. I have a Keurig and I love it because it’s practical. Another note about the Sam’s Place (which is located on the first floor of Murray), it is very convenient, but if you can help it, don’t eat there too often or you’ll get tired of it very quickly. Try other places on campus, and do some grocery shopping to make things in your dorm. Crockpots are a worthwhile investment. Also, when you go home for the weekend and your mom tries to send you back with food, say “thank you,” and take it because I promise you will miss her cooking.
​
Next up: bathrooms and the living room area. I don’t have a whole lot to say about these! You will need to get a rug for your bathroom, possibly a shower curtain, and maybe a rack/caddy to hold your things in the shower (we have one and I think it’s worth it). The living room area is a good size, so I would talk to your roommates beforehand and either plan things to bring to decorate or go shopping together to pick things out! Paintings, pillows, and rugs are just a few ideas!
One of my absolute favorite additions to our suite are the whiteboards we have in the hallway. Our first semester, there were a lot of nights that at least one of us was out pretty late, and it would make the other three kinda worry. Eventually, we went to Walmart and got four whiteboards and hung them in our hallway. We mostly write about where we are or what we’re doing, but we also have been able to use the boards for encouragement. For example, there have been many times I’ve written on my board that I have a test and have walked into the hallway and seen “good luck, Rebekah!” written on their boards, and I know that may seem like a small thing, but I am so thankful that they do those things!
​
Speaking of roommates, 10/10 would recommend becoming close friends with them. I was blessed with three great roommates this year, and I honestly think they have made the transition into college easier. Your roommates are there to support you, help you with a multitude of problems, and become your friends. Reach out to them. Go to Market Street to study together. Grab lunch with them. Grocery shop together. Go to Lubbock Breakfast House (that’s what we do every Thursday). You will be living with them from August to May, so make the most of it!
Other than becoming friends with your roommates, my next biggest suggestion is to make your room home-y. Like I just said, you will be living here for many months, so make your room a comfortable place to go back to after a stressful day. For me, that meant bringing some of my favorite artwork I’ve done. Maybe that’s the same for you, or maybe it’s your favorite book or lots of pictures of you and your friends, whatever it is, bring it. This is your home-make it feel that way!

Once you have your room all spruced up, there’s a fun contest you can enter with a chance to earn some cash! It’s called the Best Dressed Space competition, and you can apply and submit your pictures of your room around the first week of school. Here’s the link from last year, http://ttu.orgsync.com/org/tturha/BestDressedSpace , so you can check it out for more details. Even though it’s from the fall of 2016, the prizes and timeline should be similar for this coming fall. This is a fun and easy way to try and earn some money!
​
I hope these were somewhat helpful ideas (and that I didn’t just talk y’all’s ears off), and if you have any questions at all just let me know! Again, we are so so excitement to meet all of you!
 
Wreck ‘em!